About love, life and death
by maki-manu
Summary: a girl who goes back to his father's house just to find her world up side down and 180 from what she ever believed.
1. chapter 1

I looked around me, the neighborhood had changed just a bit since the last time I was here, that was about 3 years now, my nam

I looked around me, the neighborhood had changed just a bit since the last time I was here, that was about 3 years now, my name is Elle Brooks right now I've decided to change my life for my own good, my parents had divorced when I was very little, I was forced to chose between them when I was just 5, I really don't remember much of that, if I actually chose any one or if they choused me, I've lived with my mother for the past 12 years, eventually I went back to my father's place for Christmas or thanks giving maybe ester, but because of many things now I just couldn't stand my mom, lately she had become hysterical about just everything! My new step father, Jim is his name, was other reason why I couldn't stay with them, he is just too much….he doesn't seem to understand that he is not part of my family…may be part of my life but that doesn't mean he knows me or has any right to judge me, mainly he likes comparing me more than judging, I've got a sister, her name is Alice, we're twins and she's nothing above the average, she is studding over seas in a private school right now, not because she was smarter or had any aptitude that I didn't, actually I was planning to go too, its just we are different when it comes to people, she wouldn't mind to leave her family for a couple years till she could graduate in a fine school, I just cant do that, any way he just has to rub it in my face every time he can, there was just one thing that attached me to this family and was probably Jim's son David, he was 9 last time I saw him, he died about a year ago, those are maybe the reasons I'm moving in with my father.

my father, he is immature, childish and most of the time irresponsible, I guess it because he never needed to do anything to earn a living…not with the little heritage my grand parents left him and my uncle, as soon as I came close to the house I saw him standing in the porch half dressed as usual, he had a pair of dark blue sweat pants and some slippers, he's on his early 40 and he cant just ct his eye…he spend the time normal men his age will spend working sleeping working out and partying, mostly the last one….

physically we weren't really alike, every one on his family is very tall which I'm not…as well as for their tanned skin we are really different, actually my skin, just as my mom's, is very sensitive to sun, that's why my skin is much more light than his, for my hair it is pitch black just as his, I have it short down to my neck, it's actually pretty messy, my eyes are of a grayish blue, I inherited a trait from my mother, photophobia, its not actually a genetic treat means direct light or just too much of it makes my eyes hurt and normally gives me headaches too,

He jumped from his chair and went down to the street helping the cab driver with my bags into the house, he rushed back out with a big grin, he paid the cab man and pushed me inside

"My, my you've grown a lot Ellie" he said putting his hand on my head and leaning towards me, I could barely reach his shoulder I smiled slightly

"well lets put you things up on your room before anything" he said picking up my bags again and taking them up the stairs, I didn't notice from the out side but this place was pretty big, I stood on the door way to have a better look of everything, right from where I stood was the kitchen, straight forward the stairs to the second floor, and in the left the living room, on the back of the kitchen there was a door to the dining room, and from the living room there was a smaller room with a billiard table, and behind the stairs was a door that took to the back yard, the second floor had my dad's room beside the stairs, across from it was a small study and beside that a bigger room where my dad had installed his gym, on the end of the hall way was my room, it had a big window that shoed the street, there was not many houses around since we where on the outer side of town, I reached my room

"This is all?" my dad asked looking at the 2 middle siced bags

"Mmm…yup that's all…Mom's sending some other stuff later this month" I said

"You don't have much clothes do you?"

"I'm fine with what I have dad no worries…",

"Yeah sure, well go to the mall later" he was not listening

"Dad I'm tired so I just want to sleep now" I said he smile

"yeah guess you are right, so I'll let you rest now ok?" it felt awkward being with him, he was so friendly and talkative it was hard to walk around the house with him allover me, I changed my clothes into some swat pants and a sleeve-less shirt and I jumped into the bed in the middle of the room, it was quite bigger than my old bed back in Australia, and bigger than the ones I had in Europe too, when I was back with my mom she didn't seem to be able to establish anywhere, her job didn't let her stay in one place either but I never really got why she had to drag every one along, she is a business woman and she works a lot all the time so we have moved from place to place often, I guess the longer I stood in one same place was about a year and a half back in Australia, I thought of all the places I had been in for a while till I fell asleep.

**Ok people I know its lame….no action or anything just a little intro…bare with me I'm not Anne Rice, I'm not Stephanie Meyers…its my first story and I hope you like it….I'll up date soon****, if you could leave me a review with IDK ideas comments critics, I would really appreciate it!! Thanks for reading :D**


	2. Chapter 2

Elle POV

I woke up the next morning, it was Monday, I was about to jump up and hurry to school when I remembered my classes started in 2 weeks I stood still on my bed sti8ll a little sleepy trying to remember what had woke me up in first place, then I heard again some noise down on the street right in front of our house, I stood up and walked to the window that face the street, there was this kid with about 7 dogs struggling to make them move on one same direction, I stood there for a while before I noticed he was actually trying to reach our front porch, I walked down to the first floor, it was completely empty witch was weird…the past time I was here it was very common to find my father lying in the living room or on the back yard…I moved towards the door when I noticed an envelope on the mirror beside the entrance with my name on it, I took it and opened it as I opened the door,

"Elle:

I'm at a friend's house I'll be back night, here's some money for Mike, he'll bring back Sawara, Khan and Simba from the dog-care thing he does….don't forget to feed them.

Love Dad"

I looked out the door and I didn't saw anyone I was about to close the door when I heard a voice

-ehm….excuse me…- I opened the door and saw the same kid but now I realized how short he really was, he was about a head shorter than me

-god I'm sorry I just..-

-yeah you didn't see me, don't worry I'm out of most people's line of vision…so is Mr. Brooks home?- he said,

for some reason I felt my stomach twisted a bit when I looked at him directly, I don't know what was it exactly, he was nothing extraordinary, well he was cute, not in the boy you can get to like kind of way but more like puppy kind of cute, he had dark hair and light baby blue eyes, light skin nothing unusual about him, just that feeling of sickness he gave me,

-ehm…no…but he left this for you....here- I handed him the 20 bucks bill,

-well you know when you have to feed them and all right?- he said handing me the 3 dog laces

-ehrgmmm no not really- I said as I tried for the laces not to get stuck on my legs as the dogs smelled me and moved around the entrance,

-well's pretty easy, Sawara and Khan eat about 2 and a half cups of dry food and Simba eats 1 cup, also they are used to go out around 4, I can come later to give them a walk if you don't want to..- he said with a smile, my stomach twisted again

-no its fine thanks any way bye- I said closing the door,

I took a deep breath and then took the laces of the 3 dogs, by now the 2 older ones Sawara and Khan had already recognized me, they have lived with my dad for about 9 years now, Sawara is a Bernese Mountain Dog, she could easily reach my hip, while Khan was not so tall, he is a Flat Coated Retriever and the last one was Simba the youngest one, my father got him last year he's a German shepherd and even for being a puppy he's pretty big, I looked down at the three dogs around me I leaned against the door as they looked at me

-guess you're hungry right?-

I left the dogs with their food and went to the second floor to take a shower,

half an hour later I was lying on the couch on the living room staring at the ceiling, I looked around the living room to look for Simba but I didn't found him around I let myself fall on the couch once again, then I heard him running on the wooden floor I saw him standing at my feet across the couch with a ball on his mouth, I let my head lay back again , Simba moved to my side and left the ball near my hand,

-wanna play?- he barked and pushed the ball against my hand I sat up and looked down to the other 2, Sawara raised her head towards me

She looked at Simba who moved and jumped around me and went back to sleep, I took a pair of keys my dad left on the kitchen a cap and headed out to the street, it was hot outside, more or less same as Australia on a warm day, I looked around me, right from where I was standing I could se a park by the corner where the block ended,

- god you don't get tired do you??-

I said as he brought the ball back to me for a million time now, I sat on the grass for a while he laid beside me panting a little, the sun was burning on my back making me even more tired, I closed my eyes for the bright light that was reflected on the side walk wouldn't hurt me

I heard my name been called by I voice I didn't quite recognize I moved my head towards the sown I saw this kid Mike waving at my from a bench near by the side walk a few feet from me, his blue eyes sparkled as I looked at him,

while his companions didn't look so amused by me, at his left was a girl about 18, she sat on the bench looking at me, there was not much about how she looked at me, her eyes flickered from me to Mike and back to me before she displayed a little smile towards me, he bronze colored hair went wavy down to the middle of her back where it went down into one curl, her eyes of a light brown color almost honey-like moved finally from me to the man beside her,

he wouldn't be a legally a man but he could have easily passed as a 25 years old, he was maybe 19, dark brown hair fell down to his neck in a messy way covering partially his dark eyes, they could have been brown or pitch black the difference was not very noticeable, his sight was much more warm but it felt like he just couldn't look at people in any other way, witch made his enormous being a little les frightening that it would have been otherwise,

finally sitting on the back of the bench was one guy that looked completely different from them, he looked like Mike in the way his skin was slightly more white than the 2 older ones, his hair pitch black fell down to his neck, it was not messy as the older one but it sort of looked like it had been moved in such way it looked messed,

he was visibly younger than the other 2 even if it was just for a year, his face was completely blank, while his eyes, of an emerald green color, where more of a glare, unlikely a normal persons behavior I thought he would have looked away when he noticed I was also looking at him but he didn't, his glareonly became more visible,

I was paying to much attention to the 3 people that I didn't notice Mike had walked beside me, he fallowed my sight back to the dark haired one

-don't pay much attention to him- he said in a sweet tone –no one ever thought him staring at people is actually considered rude than an excuse to "brake the ice"-I looked up at him

-eh? sorry I wasn't paying attention- he laughed,

his voice in every way was light and filled with life, almost like a little kid's would have sound, actually everything about him seemed childish, the shape of his face, his height itself suggested a much more younger person that what I had thought, I stood up beside him, he barely reached my shoulder he smiled brightly at me, my stomach twisted once again, he seemed not to notice at all since he ran swiftly back to the others I saw the three of them looked at me once again, the older ones stood up as son as Mike turned towards me smiling again and fallowed him, the 4th one looked at the 3 of them for a minute, the girl looked back at him, he groaned and stood up and walked after them

-ok, Elle this is my cousin Daniel, and his girl friend Clare,- Mike pointed at the older ones, both of them smiled nicely

-and that ass there is my brother Alex- he said, Alex merely waved

I smiled at them, and it was Clare who decided to brake the awkward silence

-so you are Jake's cousin right?- she said

I looked up at her immediately, it had been long since I've actually seen any of my 2 cousins Jake and Mark where my best friends in the hole world when I used to live here or at least come around

-yes, actually there's been a while since I talked with them- I said shrugging a little

-mmmh…yeah I heard you have been out of the country for quite a while- Daniel said

-yeah I've been living with my mom for quite long – I replied,

my stomach felt worst by the minute, I felt Simba jumped in a second, Mike looked at him and tried to play with him for a bit while I talked to his cousins, his brother didn't seem to be any way near interested in anything of what we talked about so he just stood behind Daniel looking around lazily, Simba started barking and moving nervously I took my chance to walk away from my friendly neighbors

-I think he wants to go back so I'll guess I'll see you around- I started to feel better as I rushed back home,

**Ok so that was about it for now…I'm just introducing most of the characters by now and thanks for reading :D**


	3. Chapter 3

I took the keys from my pocket opened the door , I left my cap and went to the kitchen for some water,

I stayed in for the rest of the day, my dad came back about 4 am so I was already asleep, actually the 2 weeks of vacations I had went by without anything relevant, I bought my books and school stuff and went to the school a couple times with my aunt Grace who works on the middle school art department, so I got to know most of the buildings I needed for my daily life while she prepared the first semester plans, I didn't saw my cousins or uncle in this time since they had gone on vacations to visit the rest of the family, I crossed Mike a couple times, turns out he and all his family lives on a far end of the town, which is actually about 7 blocks away from my house and his father Evan was a good friend of my father, I wrote one or 2 mails to my mom per week but there was not much above that.

I was woken up by the sound of the phone; I stumbled towards the hallway and picked up the phone

-hello?- I said still half asleep

- Ellie?? Hey!! It's Mark!! Are you going to school today??-

-mhm…yeah I guess…how was your trip?-

-it was great I'll tell you later mind if we pick you up today?-

-I was planning on going on the bus but that's fine too-

-'kay we'll be there around 7:45 –

-classes don't start at 8??-

-it's the first day they always start a bit late so no worries see ya latter!!- he said in a happy tone and hung up.

I walked back to my room, it was 7 am. I groaned a bit, set the alarm for 7 15 and went back to bed I pulled the covers over my head and closed my eyes, I was about to fell asleep when the damn clock started beeping I pulled a pillow over my head then I heard the dogs running to the second floor, I felt them jump on top of me and I heard Simba barking loudly.

-OK!!! I'm up now get off!!- I said moving the covers of my head and pushing 2 dogs off my bed, Simba stood in front of my night table growling and barking at the clock I turned the alarm off and stood up looking at the dogs,

_-__ I still got half an hour to get ready- _I thought, I laid down on the bed again but the 3 dogs jumped on top of me again licking my face.

-ok ok I got it I'll get ready!!!- I walked to the bath room and took a shower washed my hair, I got dressed and dried my hair with the towel, I wasn't on the mood to get it dry, so I went down to the kitchen and prepared breakfast I served the dogs their food while I waited for my pop tart to be ready and a cup of coffee with some milk was still on the microwave.

I finished my breakfast and I laid on the counter for a few minutes

I heard the door bell rang and I jumped off the counter and rushed to the door as soon as I opened the door I was pulled into a bear hug

-ELLIEEE!!!!- I heard Mark squeal as he squeezed me a bit harder

-ehm…mark cant …breathe!!- he putted me down in the floor again,

-god you are sooo tall!!- I said, he was about half a head taller than me

-well yeah…I've grown a bit lately- he smiled moving the hair of his face,

I leaned to a side to see Jake sitting on the driver's seat of Grace's mini-van he waved at us from there, they where really alike, both of them where very tall, just like all men on our family, they had honey brown eyes and black hair, the only differences where that Jake was visibly more fit than Mark was and he had his hair cut short, while Mark was very skinny and let his hair long enough to cover his eyes, I went back in for my keys and we went up to the van

-hey Ellie! - Jake said as soon as I jumped on the front seat,

-hey how was your vacations??- I asked,

all the way they told me about our relatives in Canada, about a camping trip they had, they told me about our cousins and we planned on going together on Christmas, about 20 minutes later we arrived at the school, there was still a lot of people around the entrance, we drove around to the parking lot, witch was much more empty than what I thought it would be,

- so there's still a lot of people that haven't come yet or what?-

- nope its just most people prefer coming in the bus since the ones that have a car ether, one are total idiots when behind the wheel, or two they are scared to get their car crashed by the first group-

-ow…ok…I guess I'll come on the bus from tomorrow on-

-yea same here, we just brought the van for some supplies mom needs- he said

I looked around the parking lot, there was about 10 or 15 cars, while Mark and Jake took some boxes from the back of the van, I looked around the lot, not very expensive cars just average cars, a Chevy, a couple Renaults, a Toyota and a Honda, nothing outstanding, actually some of those were very wrecked, I guessed those where first group cars, I leaned against the van while they finished, I heard another car drove around I , don't knowing or caring much about cards actually didn't pay attention to it , even if the sound of it was much more smooth than other that was about 8 spaces away from us, while Jake and Mark stopped what they where doing to look up, Mark looked up his yaw dropped, he looked like he just had a brain failure, I looked up at Jake who had the same idiotic look in his face, I turned to see a dark blue car with 2 white stripes over it,

- man this is like the 4th car he has since they moved right?- mar said facing Jake

-yup, a Ford GT isn't bad but compared with the black convertible its pretty lame for them- he said

-I heard Joe totally wrecked that one-

- erhm…why some one bring a car like THAT here if it could smashed?- I said trying to be part of the conversation

-because people don't trend to park any where near them- Mark said pointing at the people that came out the car,

-you are kidding me…- I said as I saw Mike wave standing beside the car

-I'm not talking about Mike….who could be scared of _**him**__??_- he said with a smirk

he stood up beside me , next one to come out of the car was Clare fallowed by Daniel, I looked up at him with my eyebrows lifted expecting an explanation

- I didn't mean them either you know Mike's brother?- I nodded, he was an ass but I don't see a reason people would fear him

- he's a bit neurotic…and his Joe, is sort of psychotic…they are like half brothers or something like that- Jake said pointing at the car with a smile played on his face

2 more people came out of the front seats, Alex on the copilot side and a 5th person I couldn't recognize, he was around Jake's height extremely light blonde hair more like a grayish yellow, pale skin, he was not half of Daniel's muscular mass but there was something about him that was sort of intimidating, he stepped out the car, his eyes scanning the hole lot,

-that's Joe…- Mark pointed out, I turned towards the car again Joe was staring straight at us, he smiled, he didn't look so scary by then, he walked around the car and toward us,

-I think we should get going…- Mark said

-you are not afraid of him are you?- I said with a smirk

- no off course he's not…its just that Joe is sort of…over-affective… – Jake said

- hey guys, how're you doing?- I heard a voice behind me

it was deep and soft but quite enough to make me jump a little, from closer Joe seemed a bit much more than anything one could expect from seeing him from a long distance, he was much more tall, much more white and WAY more handsome than I could have actually imagined, Joe putted an arm around Mark's shoulders and smiled at me

-erhm…hey Joe- Jake said as Mark tried to release himself

-hey!! I haven't seen you guys in a wile- he said pointing at both of them, he stopped to look at me again

-and I have never seen _you_ -

-that's Elle our cousin, - Mark said when he was able to get Joe of him

- OK Joe you're a good friend and all but stop harassing my brother, I'll bring lawyers in the matter if I need too- Jake said

both stood silent for a second and then they started laughing, Mark was the only one who didn't found it funny in any way,

- ok, ok I'll leave Mark alone if he stops showing up randomly around our house- Joe said still laughing a little

-I don't show up randomly I've got work to do with Mike since we are in most classes together-

-right….any way mind if I stalk you now??- he said turning to me before I could answer or actually think about it Alex shoed up from behind Joe

-yeah getting sued would be maybe the only legal action you haven't been involved in…- he said, his voice was softer than Joe's but it had a sharp edge that made me uneasy

I looked at both of them, how could they be brothers?, in one hand Joe had light hair, light skin, light eye color, clearly he suffered of albinism, meanwhile Alex had dark hair, bright eye color and his skin was not as light as Joe's, so even if they where half brothers, I supposed both their parent would have to be albinos, or something was genetically wrong with that family or I was just thinking it to much, maybe Joe was not even their brother and they didn't like to talk about it and I was just letting my head get off with having to find a logic to something merely relevant,

-sooo don't you have to go to class or something?- Joe said breaking my trail of thought and making me look up to them,

he was looking at Alex who was staring back at him with an expectant look on his face

-yeah I need the keys- he said his voice sharp

-you are not gonna use them now, and I'm driving back- he said taking the keys from his pocket and hiding them behind his back

-like hell you are, give them back, last time I let you keep the keys you got bored in class went out from school and almost kill yourself….more important you wrecked _**my**_ car-

-owieee I'll promise it would never ever happen again, soo can I keep them pleeeease??- he said jumping up and down with the keys still behind his back

-no, give them back- he said his voice getting rougher Joe reached the key,

as soon as Alex was about to touch the keys Joe lifted them out of hi reach, since Alex was just a few inches taller than me and Joe was about the same height Jake was, it was easy for Joe to do so.

-Joe please give my keys back- Alex said after taking a deep breath

-oww come one Alex anger management is SOOO not your stile – Joe said wit girly gestures, Alex took advantage of that and snatched the keys from Joe's hand and walked away mumbling something I couldn't understand

-what you are just leaving like that???, no punch un the guts? no elbow to the face??? I'm starting to believe you don't love me anymore sweetie- Joe yelled loud enough to some people around to hear

Alex turned around and glared at Joe, it was a different look than the one he gave me the first time we met, compared to this I guessed it was more an indifferent look on his own way of managing expressions,

he walked back the distance he had took away from us in half the time kicked Joe right in the nose making him step back a few steps holding his face

-have fun with that- Alex said and left again,

there was something incredibly thrilling about him, he was just so random, unpredictable, I thought my self pretty good at reading people, of course some where hard to read since they where changing, others where always the same, Alex was beyond all that, he didn't seem to change or stay the same it was just like he wasn't there, like someone that is never in your line of vision, he will just pop up randomly when you less expect it, I liked that, he might be a jerk but he was an intrusting jerk, I thought what would it be like if I ever got close to him but just the thought of it was stupid there was no way he would let anyone close or that anyone would stand him for a long period of time without hurting himself like Joe did,

the bell snapped me out of those thoughts, I was still standing in the parking lot with Jake and Joe, Mark had walked away a few minutes earlier

- so…ehm what class do you have?- Jake said in what I believed was a n attempt to take me as far from Joe as it was humanly possible

-Biology- I said after I tried to remember my schedule, Joe smiled widely

-that's great! I'll walk you there since I have chemistry in the same building- he said putting his arm around my shoulders and pushing me, we walked like that for a while then he let go of me and walked beside me,

-are you ok? I thought he would brake your nose…-

-nah I0m fine….its weir 'cus we would have normally do that…he's been all nice lately- Joe said looking the way Alex had walked away

-so any way…you sure you have Biology? I mean you already memorized your schedule??-

-well not really…I think I have bio…- I stopped and took the schedule I got a week ago when I came for last time with Grace, Joe looked from over my shoulder and pointed to the first box of the day

-Math- he read and laughed a bit

-shit got to go, thanks any way- and just because I am the luckiest person in the world my math class room was more or less on the other end of the school.

**ok I know it took me for ever to update this so did a looong chapter this time!! you hope you like it and yeah I know this is going slow but I just don't know how to make things happen faster bare with me people!!!**

**please review if you like it or want to say something about it I'm open to critics and ideas **

**Any way thanks for reading!!**


End file.
